New workshop, Axminster Face Vices.

johnP_90

Hi Folks, 

Its been a while since I posted anything as had to renovate my large 7.2M long garden shed, as sadly neglected for the last 20 years before I moved here in 2014. At last I have some retirement dosh to do the shed proud, I did the outside cladding last summer and have just finished the new roof, inside cladding and insulation and boarded the inside before winter sets in.

Just needed a decent work bench as plan on making some more Fender style necks to finish where I left of 18 months ago before the shed refurb. I was half way in building a slab board Tele and Jazzmaster neck and a DC Jnr before this need set in, hmmm. Better now than ever as I need to move all the sawdust making to outside the house..

Darren at Daniel's Guitars built me a lovely spanish cedar DC Jnr neck and body kit last year, tenon neck join already done and just have to assemble and carve the neck. In return for a couple of Tele necks bless him.. I have a mojo p/up's P-90 and hardware ready to go.

I have a nice supply of maple and rosewood finger board blanks from David Dyke that has been aging the past 18 months while the workshop has taken shape, hopefully some serious building commencing soon. just have another duplicate bench to build, and some shelving, dont half go on! But nearly there.

Workshop pics so far, still a work in progress!

https://i.imgur.com/W1aqrVh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mAp5Ivf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OsDenAK.jpg

I have a spray booth in the far corner with filtered blower from outside air.

These are the Axeminster face vices with oak face boards, very nice vices for £40 or so.

https://i.imgur.com/H4AYRay.jpg

Now all fitted to new work bench. The bench was scratch built from CSL 89 x 38mm frame and 150 x 30mm PAR pine top boards from local timber yard, and the cladding.

https://i.imgur.com/O1Rz5kz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wlQVmyL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IhuHLxw.jpg

At least the roof dont leak anymore and be good for a few more years fingers crossed!

Hopefully be posting some guitar necks, builds and other stuff whene all this is done, all going well in the next few weeks.

Cheers, John

BigMonka

That looks like a cracking workshop space! How much equipment/tools are you filling it with?

johnP_90

Err, a fair few. I have a bandsaw, table router,  drill press and loads of wood in my indoor workshop that may end up in there. For now its going to be for large table saw, chop saw and thickness planer that need the large workshop dust Vac. Then the wood store I have to build for maple boards and another large bench.

I will try to keep the noisy stuff in the shed and keep the indoor workshop for set ups and noodling activities that dont make dust! Grin.

Cheers, John

BigMonka

Make sure you post some photos when you’re all set up, I love stuff like this!
What’s your first build project going to be?

stephen.wood125

Looking great!! Definitely interested in more progress pictures.

Roland

Workshop envy

Danielsguitars

The difference between the before and after is staggering, you are a proper craftsman, can't wait to have a look now

I'm jealous 

PeteC

Lovely workspace !  planning to refit my workshop shed over Xmas holidays and this is just the inspiration I need.  

johnP_90

Thanks folks, it has been a year of toil as the old shed was built over 25 years ago by an old school photo buff, as his dark room/studio. Sadly it was neglected by the next owner who let the roof and guttering go and a lot of water damage. I even had to re-lay the floor joists due to water undermining the concrete base that has sagged slightly at one end, hence getting rid of the hump and new floor beams.

Bit like a dodgy neck! Talking of which I want to build more vintage or "pre-CBS" era Tele necks, both one piece maple and 2 piece rosewood slab board necks. I have ended up with 3 enormous finger board radiusing jigs, 12"R, 12- 16" compound and my Tele favorite 7.25" - 9.75" compound taper that will radius a whole one piece neck. This gets used a lot!

https://i.imgur.com/oloIBt5.jpg

The 7.25" to 9.75" feels like a vintage 7.25" radius neck but because of the "cone" or compound taper it plays like a 9.5" or 12" cylinder radius with nice low action and no fretting out on Ze bends, ah hem.

This is it holding one of the one piece tele necks about to be radiused, with the top router carrier removed it is easier to see ho it works. The rear pivot bearing screws up and down to bring the neck up to square, to dial it in before making the radius cut by long passes, then winding the screw jack a half turn to rotate the the neck 1/8" for the next pass with the router (if that makes sense).

https://i.imgur.com/f5nGSaF.jpg

Anyway, these things are big and sturdy with steel top frames to carry the router dolly, cluttering up my spare bedroom and now have  a new home. I just have to build a 2nd work bench and slowly move it all in when I have sorted some storage and shelving etc. Then crack on with some more necks and finish of some incomplete projects:

DC LP Jnr build

Jazzmaster with swamp ash guitar build body

Early 60's Blonde Tele with rosewood slab board neck

Then more necks....... grin.

Not much to be going on with, luckily I had already started machining the 3 neck blanks before the shed refurb, hopefully they have not moved much since. It will keep me busy over the winter, just got to get this 2nd bench finished and will post a few more pics when done.

The Axeminster face vices are highly recommended btw, will hold chunky neck blanks and body blanks with no wobble and racking you get with cheaper ones. They even hold tiny things nicely yet very powerful clamping with 13" wide jaws, way better than any steel vice I have used.

Cheers, John

johnP_90

The 2nd 8 foot or 2.4m bench is underway as I want 2 of these benches and also build a router table for the shed. I have a bench and router table indoors but could do with a bigger one with the new setup.

I didn't show any "build pictures" on the previous bench so posting the build and frame on this one in case any use to anyone wanting to build a cheap and simple work bench, of any size.

Top boards glued up, with cross frames screwed in place for flatness. I will screw on the long rails after the top has been cut to square and final length, when the glue has dried.

https://i.imgur.com/eXLC7cI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/N5hDUgs.jpg

I will post some more when the bench is done and bottom shelf unit made up.

Cheers, John

johnP_90

I got the side rail marked  out and predrilled for the 8mm coach bolts to hold the legs and the screw holes for the 110mm long screws that will go 20mm into the 30mm thick top leaving 10mm of wood clear for planing, and no unwanted holes in the top! I used the pre-drilled frame holes to drill into each leg clamped tight into the corner, to prevent any movement and coming along nicely now.

https://i.imgur.com/ggzkQ7E.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iPctQS8.jpg

The new vice's getting first proper use, they are great and work much better than the cheapo ones on my bench indoors.

https://i.imgur.com/vbax1bD.jpg

All legs are in now and a couple of blocks glued and screwed along side the middle legs for support.

https://i.imgur.com/50hMktt.jpg

The planes where sharpened yesterday and planed the top flat this morning after trimming the board edges to square and final length, now 2.35m from the 2.4m boards.

https://i.imgur.com/JgjqEte.jpg

I have enough 120 x 20mm planed board for another shelf unit like this one, only longer and also to add a side apron to the bench to and cover the frame work.

https://i.imgur.com/J3Q1chu.jpg

It's only a utility bench but will come in very handy as cannot have enough surfaces and shelving for all the templates, wood and other stuff that accumulates at an alarming rate, grin.

Btw the floor is uneven, not the bench hence the wedges. I plan on bolting it to the shed wall frames eventually for serious hand planing action when happy with where to put it. Near a window is good an may stay where it is with the longer bench directly behind. They will be in the middle of the shed then giving good side access for long boards when needed.

Cheers, John

stephen.wood125

Hardest part of reading this thread is deciding between wiz and wow. deserves both!

Danielsguitars

Lovely bench John, very satisfying making it rather than buying it

rsvmark

I do like a good shed thread! Nice work!

johnP_90

Thanks folks for the encouragement, I was looking at benches and decent ones cost a fortune and tend to be a bit "flat pack". The only downside is it is soft pine so they will get bashed up over time even with 3 coats hard wearing floor varnish but will be fine for guitar and neck building. Still for £200 at the local timber yard + £80 for the 2 face vice's I was able to get 2 benches out of it and some shelving.

The 8 foot utility bench is now finished, heres the bottom frame in before the 20mm thick boards go in.

https://i.imgur.com/Jt4yR7x.jpg

Now with the shelf boards fitted.

https://i.imgur.com/1bE4lOA.jpg

I planed the top flat mostly by feel with the long Bailey "jointer" plane, being long it only catch's the high spots and with a bit of care you can get reasonable flatness after the boards have been glued up. There is always some high spots and a long plane cleans it up nicely, so no rocking or wobbles hopefully. Nice and flat in this pic.

https://i.imgur.com/1Cahu0a.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gP5Mlio.jpg

I will get some water based satin floor varnish on tomorrow, It's much better than traditional poly varnish as soaks in the grain and dries satin. Very hard wearing for floors!  I now have to make up some shelves and storage racks with the left over wood as have a ton of guitar and neck templates to find a home for, and a fair bit of wood!

Cheers, John